Great Lakes water budget

In the latest Inside Muskegon podcast, Dr. Al Steinman, one of the region's most respected aquatic ecologists, talks about the International Upper Great Lakes Study, which has the incredibly complicated task of determining how to best manage lake levels in the largest system of fresh surface water on Earth. He also explains why - much to the chagrin of many beach front property and boat owners - stable water levels are bad:

Some people want to have stable water levels so they can predict what's going to happen. I would argue that's a disaster for our coastal ecosystems. The coastal wetlands need fluctuating water levels - highs and lows - in order for the vegetation to grow over time in a dynamic way. Those wetlands help provide habitat that make our Great Lakes such an important fishery, commercially and recreationally. The trouble is humans keep moving into areas where they want stable water levels, or hardened shore lines, and that basically decimates our natural ecosystem. You cant have both.